Nothing Wrong With You
by Rincewind2.0
Summary: "If I could only stop behaving like an idiot every time we meet. Why is that?" The summer is over and Ichigo returns to university with his friends, only to realize he still harbors feelings towards Renji. Will it just go away with time or should he actually act on it? But as always, things are not so simple as they should be.
1. Chapter 1

_**Yay, a new story! And back to one of my all-time favorite pairings. I haven't been able to squeeze these guys into any of my other stories after **_**It took a cup of coffee, **_**so I figured I'd write another mushy lovestory instead of all the war and suspense things that I have underway. So probably this will just relationship stuff mixed with college live, something I actually know instead of just going on a whim. And I'm listening the soundtrack to **_**Not another teen movie **_**while writing this first chapter, it's actually quite good, surprisingly. Anyways, let me know what you think, anyone interested in reading more?**_

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**1. An attitude that kills me**

It was a cold morning for August. Ichigo tied his scarf tighter around his neck as he cycled along the lakeside. He could already see the university building ahead behind the trees and felt an instant smile tug his lips. The long summer of working in a low-paid with all the disappointed individuals was over and he could go back to his little university bubble where he didn't need to worry about anything except homework and exams, which he much more preferred to scrubbing toilets and folding linen in hotel rooms. Plus he got to see all his good friends, have exceedingly long lunches, sit around the cafeteria talking about everything between heaven and earth, go for a drink in the middle of the week, all that good stuff that made working for the whole summer worth it.

_And then of course…There's him. _Ichigo ducked his head down instinctively to hide his widening smile as he thought about that certain someone. They hadn't really kept in touch during the summer, everyone had been busy with work and scattered all around the country, but Ichigo knew they had some classes together this semester. Just the thought of seeing that familiar face again made his stomach drop, in a good way that was also nerve wrecking. _If I could only stop behaving like an idiot every time we meet. Why is that?_

Ichigo swerved around the bend scaring some ducks that were sleeping on the grass. He pulled up his sleeve and glanced at his wristwatch, it was barely nine. He'd have plenty of time to get a cup of coffee before his first lecture. He wondered if his friends were as eager to begin the new semester as he was. _Well I'd say Hime will be there early, and Tatsuki, dragged along as always…Ishida too, he has probably been to the library for a week now. Chad said he'll be busy working night shifts for a week still but he might be there too. _

Ichigo stopped at the last traffic lights before campus, he leaned his hand on the street light so he wouldn't have to step down from his bike. An old woman in a track suit waited beside him, her frail graying hair was curled tightly above her head and swayed in the light breeze. Ichigo could smell her strong perfume and breathed it in, it reminded him of his grandmother. The light turned green and Ichigo pushed his bike into motion, quickly crossing the road and entering the cobbled pavement of the campus area. He cycled the small uphill before jumping off his bike and securing it with a heavy lock, he had already lost one bike to thieves during his studies.

Ichigo unzipped his jacket, letting the cold air cool down his skin. The song on his earphones changed into one of his favorites, making him smile to himself again as he walked to the main building, fishing coins out of his pockets for coffee. He kept nodding his head to the song as he walked through the heavy wooden doors, stepping aside to make way for a young female student wearing a funny looking woolly hat and mittens that hung around her neck. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the sight. _Arts students. _

There was already a small line at the cafeteria. Ichigo immediately recognized the two girls chatting over different types of special coffees. Or one girl was doing most of the talking, the other was just nodding courteously while trying to retain a polite smile. Ichigo walked over to them, towering over them with his tall frame. The quiet girl noticed him first and greeted him with a wide smile.

"Hey there stranger" she said, punching Ichigo lightly on his arm, "haven't seen you in a while."

"Hi Tatsuki" Ichigo replied, nudging the girl back with his elbow, "glad to know you missed me." By now the other girl had also noticed his presence and let out a high-pitched squeal, jumping to Ichigo's neck and hugging him tightly.

"Ichigo, hi!" Orihime exclaimed, earning long looks from the other clients in the cafeteria. Ichigo patted Orihime on the back and hunched down so her feet touched the ground.

"Hi Hime, nice to see you too." Orihime let him go eventually, laughing and throwing her head back. Tatsuki rolled her eyes but Ichigo smiled, Orihime's glee had always been of the contagious kind, even to him. Finally Tatsuki gently knocked her on the head, making Orihime moan and rub her head, her lips pursed into a pout.

"Calm down already, get your coffee" Tatsuki ordered her friend, nodding towards the cashier.

"Oh right, sorry" Orihime smiled and turned to fill her take-away mug. Tatsuki turned to Ichigo, wearing a slightly mischievous look in her eye.

"So, what have you been up to all summer? I haven't seen you around."

"You know, all work, no play, the usual stuff. Haven't really had time to hang around."

"Oh yeah, sure" Tatsuki nodded but didn't sound convinced. Ichigo's face turned back into the scowl he had been wearing all through his teenage years.

"What?" Tatsuki chuckled but just shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing, nothing…"

"Oh c'mon, what?"

"Nothing" Tatsuki now laughed as she filled up her own coffee cup, Orihime had already paid her own and walked over to Ichigo.

"So Ichigo, how was your summer?"

"Good, nothing special, how about you? You worked in that…Clothes shop?" Orihime nodded, humming pleasantly as she licked the foamed milk from her lips.

"Yeah, it was nice enough…I got to wear the clothes they sold, though most of them didn't really fit me" Orihime let out a light laugh again, glancing down at her large chest. Ichigo tried to avoid staring and caught the look Tatsuki was giving him over Orihime's shoulder. Ichigo turned his head away though another smile was creeping to his face. _Always there to protect her, isn't she?_

"Right, right…Excited for this semester, I saw you had enlisted for the psychology courses?" Ichigo asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Orihime's bodily assets.

"Yeah, I had, my brother said I'd have a good brain for that kind of thing" the girl replied with a shrug, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Tatsuki was done with paying for her coffee and was quickly on Orihime's side, reaching her hand to ruffle the girl's blazing orange hair.

"Seems to me you have scrambled eggs for brains" she remarked but with a kind tone and a smile. Orihime giggled again and wrapped her arm around Tatsuki's shoulders, giving her a quick hug.

"Tatsuki, you're so funny!" Now it was Ichigo's turn to give Tatsuki a meaningful look and a raised eyebrow as the girl glared at him, signaling him to keep his mouth shut.

"Have you seen anyone else yet?" Ichigo asked as he moved to buy himself a coffee.

"Oh, Uryuu texted me last night, saying we could have lunch today at noon. Sado is coming too, if he wakes up by then" Orihime told him.

"How about Rukia, have you seen her at all?"

"Oh yeah, I bumped into her and Renji the other day, they came to see me in the shop. She has cut her hair, it looked nice." Ichigo's hand jerked slightly as he poured milk into his coffee and had to stop for a second to regain his composure.

"Oh, cool, cool" he mumbled back, paying for his coffee and putting on the lid so he wouldn't spill it all over his hands.

"Have you seen Renji all summer, Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked, a one-sided smirk on her face. Ichigo stared down at his coffee, refusing to give into her teasing. Orihime seemed clueless about the situation and just moved on in the conversation, earning Ichigo's thanks.

"Renji looked really good, I think he's been working out or something…He's always so tanned, it's not fair" the girl said, pinching her own pale white skin.

"Your hair would look really stupid if you were tanned" Tatsuki noted, nodding towards Ichigo, "like Ichi here." Another glare contest between the two ensued while Orihime bumbled on about summer and studies as they walked to the first class. They chose seats from the middle row close to the door so they could exit quickly once the lecture was over. Orihime was quick to have her notepad and pencils out, Ichigo concentrated on finishing his coffee before even opening his pack bag.

Tatsuki was more concerned on spotting familiar faces and exchanging hellos with everyone, trying to keep Orihime on her seat as she tried to bounce up every time she saw a friend. Finally the lecturer himself entered the class room and walked to the front of the class, quieting everyone eventually down. The first lecture went on a familiar trail, with short introduction to the course and what they would be doing, telling everyone not to leave the final assignment to the last minute even though at least fifty per cent of the students would do so anyway. Orihime wrote her notes down carefully, Tatsuki dotted down few essential things and Ichigo scribbled aliens and UFOs into his margins, despite Tatsuki's nudges to his side.

"So, that wasn't so bad?" Orihime asked as they left the lecture.

"No, an easy start, just what I needed" Tatsuki replied, glancing at Ichigo, "though I think it was too much for Ichigo."

"Ha-ha, very funny. We'll see if you're still laughing when I ace the exam" the young man retorted, swinging his pack bag on his shoulder.

"Hey, Ichigo!" a familiar voice called out ahead of them. Ichigo stretched his neck to see someone waving their hand at them in the crowd.

"Oh, it's Rukia" Orihime recognized and waved back at her, starting to push her way through the crowd. Tatsuki was quick to follow behind her, but Ichigo lagged behind, trying to see if she was alone or not. He wasn't prepared for this yet, he tried to look for some shiny surface he could catch his reflection on to make sure he wasn't looking like an idiot. _Oh hell, guess it's too late for that anyway…_

"Orihime, hi! And Tatsuki, nice to see you" Rukia greeted them both happily, receiving a warm hug from Orihime and a courteous smile from Tatsuki. When she noticed Ichigo behind the girls her face lit up but at the same time her hand shot into her short hair, tousling it nervously and her eyes darted to her shoes. Orihime smiled knowingly and looked at Ichigo over her shoulder, feeing relieved as she felt nothing.

"Hi Rukia" Ichigo said as he finally made it to the girls, "long time no see."

"Hi, Ichigo" the girl said, almost stumbling into her own words as she tried to sound casual and cool, "how've you been?"

"Good, nothing special. You?"

"Great, just great" Rukia's reply was quick and eager, her head bopping up and down. Tatsuki and Orihime looked at each other and tried not to smile too openly. Ichigo seemed clueless as usual, and his cool demeanor finally made Rukia relax and return to her confidence.

"We're going to have lunch with Uryuu and Chad in an hour, you wanna join us?" Orihime asked her, tilting her head to one side and smiling in that irresistible way of hers. When she had been younger she had been quite unaware of her natural charm but now she had learned to use it to persuade people. Her smile widened as she noticed how Rukia's willpower bend under her inluence, unable to say no.

"Yeah, sounds good…Oh yeah, can Renji come too, he was here just now, I don't know where he went" Rukia turned to look around in the crowded hallway. Ichigo stiffened for a second, his fingers squeezing on the strap of his pack bag till Tatsuki stepped on his foot to distract him.

"Ow, what the hell Tatsuki?" he groaned as he hopped on one foot, scowling at the girl who was smirking at him. Orihime tut-tutted at her, shaking her head.

"Tatsuki, you shouldn't be so mean, you could've hurt him."

"He's a big man, he can take it."

"Can take what?" Everyone turned to the direction of the voice coming from behind Rukia, from a young man with blazing red hair and jagged-lined tattoos running down his neck.

"Renji, hi!" Orihime gave him her usual welcome, leaping to his neck and nearly squeezing the life out of him. Renji wasn't as fazed by this as some others were and returned the embrace with equal force and vigor, something that made Ichigo turn his head away.

"Nice to see you too Hime" Renji replied as he let the girl go and lowered her back to her feet, his hands still lingering on her waist.

"You've grown your hair Renji" Tatsuki noted, trying to break the tension, "you don't look so bushy anymore."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Renji asked with a wolfish smile as Orihime reached to grab his ponytail and ran her fingers through the thick hair.

"I think it looks nice" she said, "but you should put it down more often, I really liked it when you had it like that."

"It just gets everywhere" he replied, but then winked at Orihime, "but I can do that someday, just for you." Orihime laughed again, gently slapping Renji on the arm.

"We're going to have lunch, you wanna come with, Renji?" Rukia asked and managed tear the two away from each other.

"Yeah sure, why not? Got nothing better to do" Renji replied, only now looking beyond Orihime and spotting another familiar face, "hey Ichigo, didn't see you there." Ichigo managed a strained smile and then almost jumped when Renji pushed past the girls and was suddenly on his side.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, what have you been up to?" Renji asked, nudging him with his elbow, wearing a wide smile on his face. Ichigo tried to calm his mind and grinned back, tilting his head slightly back in a cocky gesture.

"Work, something you'd know nothing about" he replied, slipping into his usual tough guy act he did so well. Renji didn't seem to notice the fakery in his manner and merely laughed, ruffling Ichigo's spiky hair with certain rough affection. Ichigo ducked away from the touch, not letting himself to be fooled.

"Still so grumpy, eh? Maybe some food in your belly will change that" he said and patted Ichigo's flat stomach, making the young man flinch away from him again.

"I'd be better if you'd keep your hands to yourself" Ichigo grunted, and really meant it. Renji finally took a step back and raised his hands up, still wearing the same smug grin.

"Fine Ichi, whatever you want. No need to get so bitchy." Orihime squeezed past Renji and took Ichigo's arm to hers, leaning her head lightly on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo could see Renji's eyes flash and tasted bitter in his mouth, almost wanting to shake Orihime off but then again not. _Maybe it would be easier to make him hate me, or think that…_

"Don't fight you guys, it's only the first day" Orihime said with a small pout, "let's just go eat, I'm starving!" Tatsuki uttered a dry laugh and started to walk out of the building, leading the way as usual.

"I don't think I remember one single time you haven't been hungry, Hime" she noted over her shoulder as the others followed behind her, Orihime still clinging to Ichigo's arm and laughter bubbling from her lips. Ichigo decided to take comfort in the girl's touch, at least someone cared for him. And it was good to know they were fine again.

"It's my metabolism, I can't help it" Orihime said genially, walking with a natural skip in her steps. She glanced up at Ichigo, who gave her a subdued smile in return. Rukia walked beside Renji, her eyes darting between Ichigo and Orihime, her teeth chewing on her lower lip. _I thought…Oh stop it. _

They stepped outside, the sky was still grey and the air crisp, making Orihime shiver and Ichigo zip up his jacket. Rukia slipped on her woolly mittens that were much too big for her small hands, earning a derisive chortle from Renji.

"They're warm" she insisted as she flexed her fingers to her palms, "I get cold easily."

"I'd think you'd be used to it, being so cold-blooded." Rukia frowned as she tried to decipher whether Renji's words were meant as an insult or not but then let it go, she wasn't in the mood for this now.

"What are we gonna do now, Uryuu's not supposed to meet us until noon" Orihime asked as they caught up with Tatsuki.

"I need to check some books from the library, we can kill some time there." Ichigo shrugged as a sign of agreement, and Tatsuki turned to look at the other two for reassurance.

"Yeah, whatever" Renji said, taking out a packet of cigarettes from his breast pocket. Rukia frowned again as he lighted up, keeping his hands around the lighter to keep it from going off.

"I thought you quit." Renji hummed in response and let smoke trail from his mouth before answering.

"Yeah, for a week or so. But things happened and well, you know." _No I don't know, since you don't tell me anything anymore, _Rukia thought but kept it to herself. She turned her eyes to her shoes, thinking why things changed so quickly. Or why they changed at all.

Orihime finally slipped her hands away from Ichigo's arm and turned around so she was facing Renji and Rukia, walking backwards with a slight totter.

"So Rukia, how's your brother? I saw him downtown one day when I was at work." Rukia smiled at the mention of her older brother.

"Oh, he's great, he's starting his Master's thesis this year so I'd think he'll be quite busy."

"Oh yeah, you think he'll do a doctorate as well?"

"I'd think so, he's been quite persistent on it before."

"Oh he's so smart, I'm sure he'll go through with it" Orihime said, waving her hand in a certain gesture. Rukia smiled, hoping she could be as self-assured as her friend. But she knew she could never pull it off like Orihime did. The girl turned back round again, taking few longer steps to catch up with Tatsuki. The girls put their heads together and talked in a hushed tone to each other, leaving the others out of their conversation.

Ichigo could feel eyes boring to the back of his skull as he walked on. He wasn't sure whether it was Rukia or Renji, or maybe both, but he was determined to ignore it either way. He stared down at his shoes, then at Orihime's and Tatsuki's backs as they walked ahead of him, whispering to each other with their heads still down. He was only mildly curious on what they were talking about, he had learned not to pry into the girls' private matters. Just as Ichigo had forgotten himself in his own thoughts he realized Rukia was right beside him. The girl was staring up at him with her big purple eyes, clearly wanting to say something. Ichigo was slightly put off by her recent behavior, it seemed as if she had lost some of that spunk she was known for. She seemed almost meek and withdrawn, something she had never been before, especially around Ichigo. _Maybe it's some late puberty thing. _

"Yeah Rukia? What's up?" Rukia nearly flinched as Ichigo spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh, um, I was just thinking" she fumbled, cursing inwardly at her cowardice and everything she was at that moment, "how…How's your family?" Ichigo frowned at the slightly odd question but then uttered a small laugh and turned his head away again, looking forward.

"They're good, the girls are working hard, wanting to get out of high school and into a good college. I told them to study something useful but I doubt they'll listen to me. Or to Dad for that matter."

"Oh yeah, how's your dad? Still going strong?" Ichigo scoffed and shook his head a little.

"Unfortunately yeah, I don't think he's ever gonna stop…Damn idiot." Ichigo almost jumped as Renji suddenly slapped him on the back, his hand resting on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Old man giving you trouble again? You should man up Ichigo, and fight back" the redhead said with a grin, flexing his own bicep. Ichigo forced himself to roll his eyes and shook Renji's hand off.

"I'd like to see you try take on a black belt just like that, it would be fun to see you getting your ass whooped" he replied, earning a barking laugh from Renji and another smirk.

"Maybe I'll just take you on instead" he replied. Ichigo didn't like the way Renji's eyes lingered on his face and hurried his steps to catch up with Tatsuki and Orihime. He bent down to Orihime's level, earning a curious look from the girl.

"Hime, when you have time, can we talk for a bit?"

"Yes of course" the girl replied, her smile waning slightly at Ichigo's tone, "everything okay?"

"Yeah, just something…I need to clarify." Orihime nodded and brushed her fingers over Ichigo's hand.

"Okay, we have a class after lunch, we can talk then. That okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Ichigo drew his head back, noticing Tatsuki was raising an eyebrow at him. He made a face that told her he'd explain later. The girl huffed but let it go, she knew not to force Ichigo talk if he didn't want to. He knew how to play silent treatment, which was extremely infuriating for Tatsuki. She had always been one for straight talking but sometimes Ichigo would just shut down and refuse to say anything, even though his misery showed all over his face. She glanced at her friend and felt a twinge of worry. She had hoped the summer would've changed things for the better, but she couldn't say for sure yet. _Orihime seems fine though…I'm glad they're finally okay. _Tatsuki glanced over her shoulder at Renji and Rukia walking behind them in silence, making note of Rukia's strange fidgety demeanor. _Guess it has moved to her now. The drama will never end._

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_Foreshadowing! And here ends the first chapter. Tell me what you think, any potential somewhere in there? I think this would be not as depressing and dramatic as the other stories I'm working on currently, mainly some relationshit-things happening. I just wanted to get back to my roots and write about Renji and Ichigo again (I've missed you guys!). But yes, drop a review my way so I'll know whether to just bury this or continue. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry for taking forever with this, deadlines, life and such got in the way. Writing teenage drama turned out to be more difficult than I thought. Thanks for the lovely feedback, here's a new installment on this story!_

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**2. You make a mess of me**

The group entered the huge old library in silence, the mere atmosphere made them suddenly lower their voices. Even Renji became slightly subdued while walking around the large entrance hall, Tatsuki had already disappeared somewhere between the shelves that almost reached to the ceiling. Orihime had gone off to look for some books as well, leaving Ichigo with Rukia and Renji. Ichigo wasn't sure which one of his friends he would now prefer for company. Rukia was acting strangely and had been so ever since the beginning of summer when they had had their big part before even went off to spend the summer in their respective ways. Ichigo had been too preoccupied with his own drama to notice if anything had happened with her and felt stupid trying to ask about it now, almost four months later. _I'm a bad friend, _he suddenly realized as he remembered he hadn't really even talked to Rukia for the whole summer, despite during the semesters they used to talk every single day. But Rukia hadn't even tried to get in contact with him either, she was usually the one to call him up when she was feeling bored. Ichigo tilted his head to the side as he watched Rukia stare down at her shoes, looking like a shy little girl she definitely was not. _Girls._

Ichigo moved his attention to Renji, who was meandering around the entrance hall, knocking the large marble pillars with his knuckles as if to see if they were real. Ichigo still felt his stupid stomach starting to do flips when he looked at his friend, quickly turning his head away before the redhead noticed his staring. Ichigo huffed at himself, he had thought that four months would've made his problem just go away. Out of sight, out of mind. And it had been like that, up until yesterday when he had realized he'd have to go back to his studies and see all his friends. _And Renji_. The stupid redhead had somehow managed to make himself irresistible to Ichigo without him even noticing it before Orihime had confronted him about it.

Ichigo craned his head back, staring at the high ceiling. _That was one fucked up night, _he thought, reminiscing on the farewell- party in the beginning of the summer. Everyone he knew had been there, in a rented summer villa by the lakeside, and by the end of the night everyone had been drunk out of their minds. Typical student party, except this time somehow all the pent-up emotions had suddenly just exploded into one huge mess. Ichigo remembered someone crying and running hide into the nearby woods, people screaming at each other like animals, two guys fighting on the beach and rolling into the lake while some girls tried to break it off. He had been watching it with strange amusement until Orihime had stumbled to him and dragged him to the side. Ichigo felt weird thinking back at her words that had spilled from her mouth without any filter, just pure emotion like she was. Tatsuki had found them some time later, almost slapping Ichigo as she noticed the tear stains on Orihime's face. But she stepped back as she realized Ichigo didn't look any better himself and had then just shook her head, muttering something about sensitive idiots. They had laughed for the rest of the night, walking home without shoes on and watching the sunrise.

Ichigo had a faint memory of Renji disappearing at some point of the night, not really knowing why and when. He figured Orihime would know, she somehow noticed everything that was happening around them. Ichigo was too lost in his thoughts to notice two young men walking up to him until one of them tapped him on the shoulder. Ichigo turned to look and his face split into a crooked grin.

"Hey, there you are." Uryuu Ishida pushed his glasses up on his nose as Chad managed a faint smile at Ichigo.

"Fancy seeing you here, on time" Uryuu said with his usual slightly condescending tone though there was a hint of a smile on his face, "and so quiet. Usually I can hear you two meatheads miles away." Ichigo picked up on Uryuu's poke at how he and Renji usually scuffled with each other every waking second they spent together. Ichigo was just now afraid that he couldn't stand being so close to Renji without starting to hope for something more. Just his earlier closeness and friendly touches had been enough to make him flinch and almost blush. _Can't have that, no fucking way. He'd never look at me the same again. _

"It's the library. I think even Renji has the half a brain not to act like an animal here" Ichigo said but then noticed the glint in Uryuu's eye and turned around just in time to see Renji running towards him, ready to tackle him to the ground. Ichigo had just enough time to step to the side and let Renji crash head first into Chad, who wasn't even fazed by this sudden bodily contact.

Renji himself merely shook his head and flashed Chad a wide grin, smacking him on the shoulder.

"Hey Chad, still going strong. How are you buddy?"

"I'm good. How about you?" Renji pulled back from Chad and kept smiling, rolling his shoulders back.

"Never the better, actually" he said, throwing a look at Uryuu, who was in turn looking at Ichigo. The young man had taken a step back as Renji had exchanged pleasantries with Chad, his hands tucked deep into his pockets. Uryuu cocked an eyebrow at the awkward sight, then noticed how Renji was staring at him and flashed a small smile more to himself than to the redhead.

"Thanks for spoiling my fun, Ishida" Renji said to him, nodding towards Ichigo, "without you I would've had Kurosaki crying like a baby by now." The mentioning of his name made Ichigo glare at Renji, who returned it with another infuriating grin. Uryuu followed the exchange with certain interest, Chad by his side was just standing there quietly like he always did.

Further away, Rukia was watching the boys being boys and felt like an outsider. She had always gotten along better with boys but sometimes she could just feel she wasn't wanted. But she couldn't really go after Orihime and Tatsuki either, they had been friends since forever and most of the time she had no idea what they were talking about. All that girly stuff went over her head sometimes, and if she hated anything, it was feeling stupid. But she felt stupid right now, standing here alone while her friends were over there, talking and joking and she was here, like a sad little girl who had no friends. _Stop that, just stop it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself just because you don't have the guts to tell him. _Rukia shook her head and inhaled slowly before she walked over to the boys. Chad noticed her first and waved at her with his huge shovel of a hand, his eyes smiling from behind his shaggy hair. Uryuu nodded at her, Rukia straining a smile back at him as she squeezed herself into the circle between Uryuu and Ichigo.

"Rukia, nice to see you. How was summer?"

"Good, I'm good" Rukia replied, nodding eagerly until she noticed the look Renji was giving her, eyebrows raised into an amused look. She quickly lowered her head again, clearing her throat.

"Where are Orihime and Tatsuki?" Uryuu asked, noticing Rukia's weird behavior and trying to draw attention away from her.

"They're looking for some course books, guess they'll be back soon enough" Ichigo said, turning to the bookshelves to catch a glimpse of either of the girls, "Hime said she was hungry already so I guess we can go straight to lunch when they come back."

"Sounds good" Chad concurred, his low resonating voice instantly demanded attention to him. Ichigo flashed a wide grin at him, trying to ignore both Renji and Rukia standing next to him and almost openly staring at him. He wasn't sure which was more disturbing, Renji's creepy smirking with his eyes glinting like a hungry madman, or Rukia's nervous, almost in awe- type staring. _I need to find some normal friends. _Ichigo noticed Uryuu was trying hard to hide his smile, apparently induced by his weird situation. Chad seemed near emotionless as always, which was a slight relief.

The tension was broken as Orihime's high voice called from behind them.

"Uryuu, Sado!" The girl ran to them, her blazing hair swinging behind her. Ichigo noticed how Uryuu almost flinched at the sound of her voice and how Chad smiled at the sight of her. It almost made him regret not being able to be the one for her, Ichigo knew Orihime would be the perfect girlfriend for someone who deserved her. Then again he highly doubted he'd ever come across someone like that.

"I've missed you guys" Orihime chirped as she gave both Uryuu and Chad her usual greeting hugs, making Uryuu's pale cheeks turn red.

"Hi Orihime" Chad said, patting her on the back as she clung onto his waist, her head barely reaching up to his chin, "how was summer?"

"It was great actually, really great. Though I didn't see you much" Orihime replied as she pulled away, pushing back strands of stray hair and pouting at Chad, "you should've come to see me."

"Sorry Orihime. I was very busy" Chad said, actually sounding sorry.

"It's fine, I get to see you now in classes anyway" the girl smiled, turning to Uryuu who was trying to calm himself down, "how was your summer, Uryuu?" The boy flinched again and nervously pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, earning a snicker from Renji. The mockery apparently helped him calm down his nerves as Uryuu composed himself and looked at Orihime with his usual blank expression.

"Busy, as always. I volunteered at the hospital." Orihime didn't seem to notice, or more likely was too polite to care about Uryuu's strange behavior and just nodded with a wide smile.

"How is your father then, still being a stick in a mud?" she asked laughingly, even managing to drag a small smile from Uryuu.

"Pretty much yeah. But how are you, how's your brother?"

"He's good, we're both good" Orihime said, then noticing everyone else around them was being quiet, "oh sorry guys, did I interrupt something?" Ichigo scoffed almost automatically, making everyone turn to him now.

"Ah" he uttered, "we were just waiting on you guys. Where's Tatsuki, did you lose her?"

"No, she's just over there, getting those books" Orihime said, glancing over her shoulder. _I hope she'd come back so we could get this over with..._

Orihime kept smiling as she turned back to her friends but then stole a glance at Ichigo, curious about what he had meant with wanting to "clarify" some things. She would've rather have ditched this whole lunch with the rest of her friends to hear what was bothering Ichigo, he rarely talked about anything relating to his feelings and Orihime was worried that the moment would pass if she waited for too long. Ichigo caught her eye and graced her with one of those near unnoticeable smiles of his, just a quick tug of the corner of his mouth combined with a long meaningful look she couldn't quite decipher. Knowing what Ichigo was thinking was as hard as trying to make sense of those ancient hieroglyphs without the Rosetta stone.

_Then again, _Orihime thought as she threw a sideways look at Renji, she had felt the man's eyes on her from the moment she had come back. It was making her nervous, she had no intention whatsoever of getting involved with Renji, especially now that she had learned about Ichigo's feelings. Orihime was almost certain Renji had at least some idea of the whole thing, which made his lingering looks and touches all the more disturbing. _Stop it, he's right there! _She tried to use her make-believe psychic powers to make Renji snap out of it but with little success. Renji merely gave her a wide grin until she turned away, now noticing again how Rukia was ogling at Ichigo. _She looks like an abandoned puppy dog_, Orihime caught herself thinking and mentally slapped herself for being so mean. _Like you were any better, _she scolded herself, holding back a sigh as she though of her own past behavior relating to Ichigo. _Lovesick little girl, you have no right to judge anyone at this point. _

Orihime was so wound up in her daydreaming she didn't even notice Tatsuki coming back until she was standing right next to her.

"Oh, Tatsuki, you scared me!" Orihime said as she finally noticed her best friend's presence. Tatsuki was used to Orihime's daydreaming and just rolled her eyes, nodding at the books in her lap.

"I'm ready to go, how about you?" she asked, nodding a greeting to Uryuu and Chad.

"Yeah sure, let's get going" Renji was the first the move and pushed past Ichigo towards the exit, making sure he brushed his side against Ichigo's. Ichigo pushed him slightly back, earning a low chuckle from the redhead. Orihime was quickly by his side, ignoring Renji altogether though the man was still looking at her. _Or maybe he's..._Orihime moved slightly away from Ichigo and felt her heart skip as Renji's eyes quickly switched between her and Ichigo. _Success! _Orihime was certain her woman's intuition would help her get those two together in no time.

Apprently she had let out a noise of excitement as Ichigo gave her a strange look, arching an eyebrow and a smile tugging the side of his mouth.

"Still with us, Hime?"

"Yes, sorry" the girl was quick to say, "just thinking of lunch. I'm starving!"

"I'm still bitter how much you can eat" Tatsuki noted, nudging her friend on her side, "and you're still to tiny."

"She needs the energy to keep her brain going" Renji smirked to them over his shoulder, "all that weird stuff needs to come from somewhere." Orihime didn't even bother acting offended, she just shrugged and laughed as usual.

"I wonder what's on the menu today?" Ichigo asked.

"Who cares, I'm hungry!" Renji announced as they stepped outside.

"Big surprise" Uryuu noted dryly.

"Some place had chicken and rise today" Chad remembered.

"Well that's really helpful."

"Let's just go somewhere already."

"Hear, hear!"

* * *

After lunch everyone went to their separate ways. Uryuu had left early to make some last minute changes to his overbooked timetable and was now looking for his next lecture hall. The department of psychology was an unknown terrain for him, he usually resided inside the science building and being suddenly surrounded by hordes of girls made him feel very out of place. And he had a strong feeling the girls could sense his anxiety, which made it all the more worse. Finally he found the right room and pushed the door open, revealing a large auditorium whose seats were unsurprisingly filled with more female students. Bracing himself, Uryuu started descending the stairs when he noticed a familiar face sitting in one of the middle rows. He shuffled past a group of girls who had already taken their places to get to her, already feeling his face starting to burn.

"Hey Rukia." The girl flinched and quickly tried to smooth her hair before turning to look at the person addressing her. Uryuu could see disappointment in her eyes as she saw it was just him.

"Oh, hi Uryuu" she said, trying to force on a smile, "how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks" the young man replied and gestured towards the free chair next to Rukia, "may I sit?"

"Yeah, sure" Rukia said and moved her coat to another free seat as Uryuu sat down, "I didn't know you were in this class. I thought you weren't interested in women's studies."

"My Dad thinks I should have an open mind" Uryuu explained, arranging his notebook and pencils, "I figured this might do the trick." Rukia laughed softly.

"Well, prepare for being blamed for all of humanity's problems. You might be the only guy in this class." Uryuu looked around the lecture hall and Rukia's words seemed true.

"I trust you have my back" he said to her. Rukia graced him with a smile and winked at him.

"Don't worry, I'll be here if they gang up on you." Uryuu smiled back at her, feeling a slight blush creeping up his neck. But his brain was quick to dispose some sense into him. _Oh please, as if she'd ever even look at you like she does at him. Stupid, lovesick children, every one of them. And now that includes you too, pathetic. _Uryuu's mouth twisted at his own thoughts and he felt deflated, reality was sometimes too much to bear, even for him. Rukia noticed the sudden change in his demeanor and reached to touch his arm.

"Uryuu, are you okay?" Uryuu nearly flinched at her touch but managed to restrain himself.

"Yes, excuse me" he said, quickly grabbing his glasses and focused on cleaning their lenses meticulously, "just something wrong with my glasses." It was a weak lie, and he was sure Rukia would notice but hoped the girl was kind enough to let it slide. And she did, turning back to face ahead as the lecturer took the stand and started the class. Uryuu finally finished cleaning his glasses and focused on the lecture, writing so many notes he didn't have time to even look at Rukia before the class was suddenly over. Before Uryuu had the chance to leave gracefully, Rukia called out his name.

"Hey Uryuu" she said as she picked up her things, "want to grab a coffee or something? I don't have anything before four today, so..." Uryuu managed to act calm and nod, though his palms were sweating and he tried hard to suppress the blush that was again attacking his neck.

"Yeah sure" he replied, enjoying the sight of smile on Rukia's face and how her eyes didn't look so defeated anymore.

"Great! Where do you wanna go, the library might be the closest."

"Sure, whatever you want."

"I think Ichigo has a free period too, maybe I could call him." Uryuu had to clench down on his jaw to hold back his bitter reply and just made a strange strangled noise at Rukia's suggestion.

A group of girls walked past them one of them stopped and tapped Uryuu on the shoulder, and he had never been happier to have been interrupted. A tall skinny girl with cropped hair dyed green smiled at him shyly, her eyes almost lost under he fringe.

"Oh, Nel, didn't see you there.

"Hi Ishida, Rukia" the girl replied, holding her things close to her chest, "how was summer?"

"Working, as usual" Uryuu said, "how about you? You didn't stay in town, did you?"

"No, I went back home" Nel said, her eyes darting to her shoes, "so nothing really happened."

"We're going for a coffee, do you want to come with us?" Uryuu was quick to ask, having Neliel there as a distraction from Rukia and Ichigo would make things slightly more bearable. Nel's face lighted up as she smiled, finally looking Uryuu in the eyes.

"I'd love to." Uryuu smiled back, reaching his hand to her.

"Here, let me carry those for you."

"No it's okay, I can manage" Nel said, pulling slightly back from Uryuu's touch. Rukia was fiddling with her phone, trying to figure out how to sound a text message to Ichigo that didn't sound too eager but not too dismissive either.

"Rukia, are you ready?"

"Yeah, you go ahead" she said, glancing up from her phone. She noticed how Nel looked somehow different from what she remembered but didn't think much more about it, maybe her memory was just bad. Uryuu shook his head a little as they walked out of the class.

"Is something wrong?" Nel asked. Uryuu shrugged and tried to change the subject.

"So how was home? Your brothers are doing alright?"

"Yeah" Nel said and suddenly let out a light laugh, "they're doing well."

"Good to hear. I sometimes wish I had siblings."

"Oh yeah, it's just you and your father, right?" Nel asked, then covered her mouth with her hand realizing her possible flub, "Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to...That sounded bad, didn't it?"

"It's fine, it sounded just right" Uryuu calmed her down, "don't worry about it."

"Okay" Nel sighed of relief, "did he give you hard time this summer?"

"Same as usual. Where are you living now anyway?"

"I got a apartment in the center with few other girls, they seem nice. We're probably going to have a party this week, you wanna come?"

"Sure, why not" Uryuu said, "Do you mind if I invite the others too?"

"No, the more the better. I want to show that I actually have friends" Nel said jokingly, though Uryuu could sense there was also truth in her words. Nel was one of those shy girls who hadn't really had any friends and was still stuck in that mindset.

"I'll spread the word. If Renji hears about it, you can bet there'll be a ton of people at the party." Nel smiled, she actually looked really pretty when she wasn't staring down at her shoes and hiding behind her hair.

"Thanks Uryuu, I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it" Uryuu said, completely blind to the admiration in Nel's eyes.

* * *

_So yeah, this happened. Things are off to a slow start, but I guess they'll speed up once I wrap my head around all this. It's always the same with my stories, first there's nothing for 10 chapters and then BOOM! a sudden climax and the end. Though that bit tends to drag on as well, we'll see what happens with this one. There are so many things I could do, but I'll try to keep my focus. Hope you liked it anyway, thank you for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry for the wait everyone, still thinking how quickly I want this story to progress. With my luck, it'll be very very long indeed so I'll try to get things going soon enough. Hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

**Chapter 3. ****You've trapped my attention**

Renji had sneaked out of his second class, starting the semester in his usual fashion. Smoking behind one of the department buildings with his earphones blasting funk music straight into his head, Renji tried to finally sort out his head. He had been avoiding it for the whole summer but he figured now was the time. _The fuck I_'_m supposed to do, _he thought as he twirled the cigarette between his fingers. _It's not like I could just walk up to him and ask..._

"Oi, Renji!" Renji almost dropped his cigarette and wrenched the earphones off hearing his name being called. A male student one year above him was just walking towards him, lighting a cigarette behind his hands.

"Shuu, fancy seeing you here" Renji said as the young man finally managed to light up his cigarette and tucked his lighter into the pocket of his leather jacket.

"Yeah, why?"

"I thought you'd be done with your master's by now." Shuuhei exhaled smoke out of his nostrils and shrugged, cracking a one-sided smile.

"Yeah, I got bit sidetracked with it." Renji smirked, trying to find out the reason behind Shuuhei's smile. He would've thought the secretly incredibly ambitious young man would've been angry about not finishing his studies under five years like he had planned.

"So, who is it?" Shuuhei seemed slightly thrown off by the question, frowning as he took the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Who what?" Renji nudged Shuuhei on his side with his elbow, raising his eyebrows meaningfully.

"Who got you sidetracked. The only thing that could make you forget about your thesis is some pretty girl keeping you awake all night."

"Oh" Shuuhei said, still looking confused, "right, yeah."

"It's Ran, isn't it? She's been after you for years, did you finally give in to her?" Renji suggested but could now sense he might be going completely wrong with this.

"Uh, well, actually" Shuuhei started, pausing to inhale on his cigarette, "it's not her, no."

"Okay, then who? Don't keep me guessing all day." Shuuhei shifted his weight and stumped his half-smoked cigarette. He scratched the back of his neck, avoiding Renji's eyes.

"Well, you know, it's kinda complicated" he said slowly, "I'd rather not talk about it now." Renji's interest peaked, his brain already buzzing as he tried to think who could be the mysterious distraction Shuuhei didn't even dare to name.

"Alright, keep your secret" he said, but then winked at his friend, "I'll found it sooner or later anyway." Instead of the smile Renji had anticipated, Shuuhei gave him an almost pained look. Renji decided to change the subject, not wanting to look at his friend act so weirdly anymore.

"So, what are you doing this year? Getting extra credits?"

"I got an internship at the uni, at the science department" Shuuhei said, "should be interesting enough."

"Yeah right" Renji snorted, "well, suits you just fine." Finally Shuuhei managed a smile at the redhead, his posture slowly relaxing.

"Guess it does. What about you, starting the year as usual?" Renji spread out his hands with a grin.

"What does it look like?"

"Where are all your friends then, I thought you'd be catching up with them. Having been away all summer and all that."

"Yeah, well..." Renji trailed off, patting his pockets for another cigarette. Shuuhei tilted his head to one side.

"Something wrong?"

"Nah, just wanted to smoke in peace" Renji lied quickly, "Rukia gives me shit every time she sees me smoking." Shuuhei could tell Renji was lying but let it go, it was pointless to argue with him. And he wasn't any better himself.

"Are you coming to the party on Friday?" he asked instead, figuring it would lead them to a safer ground. Renji raised an eyebrow at him.

"Party, already? I hadn't heard of any parties this week."

"Well, this is more of a inside thing, you know" Shuuhei told him, "it's good to get back into the swing of things."

"Where is it?"

"It's hosted by some Phd-students, downtown. I'd say I could sneak you all inside." Renji smiled widely at the prospect of a proper student party, working all summer and being surrounded by grumpy middle-aged men as his coworkers had made him miss his friends and student life in general. Mostly because of the parties.

"Sounds cool" he said, understating his actual excitement, "so I can bring the rest of the usual gang along?"

"Sure thing." Another short silence fell between them before they could hear people pouring out from the building as the lectures ended.

"Better head back in" Shuuhei said, "I'll be seeing you on Friday."

"You can bet on it" Renji said smirking, "take care Shuu." Renji watched as his friend walked away, his own worries forgotten for a while as he wondered what could make Shuuhei stay quiet about his newest partner. He made a conscious decision of finding it out, the party on Friday would be perfect. _Maybe I could get some closure of my own, _he thought as he lighted up again, playing time until he had to return to the real world.

* * *

Orihime felt her hands almost shake as she sat down with her coffee, glancing at Ichigo who was still in the line. After lunch they had sneaked into a small coffee shop outside the campus, wanting to make sure they wouldn't bump into anyone familiar. Orihime realized how this would look to an outsider and almost laughed, six months ago this would've been her daydreams come true. But now she felt nothing besides curiosity. Ichigo came to the table and sat down, and Orihime tried to contain her excitement and wait for him to settle down. Ichigo seemed to notice her fidgeting and gave her a soft look from under his brow.

"You okay there Hime?"

"Mmm-hmm" the girl hummed as she laced her fingers together on the table to stop them from shaking. Ichigo's smile widened and he leaned back in his chair.

"At least try to calm down a bit, people are staring." Orihime flinched and her head whipped around to see if this was true. Ichigo laughed and pressed his hand on top of Orihime's. The girl locked eyes with Ichigo and slowly her face melted into that sweet smile she so often wore, and for a second Ichigo almost hoped things were different. It would've made his own life much easier if he would've fallen for Orihime, the sweetest girl in the world, instead of his best friend.

"Sorry" Orihime murmured softly and quickly squeezed Ichigo's hand before leaning back and drawing in a deep breath to calm her nerves, "okay, I'm ready."

"Ready for what?"

"For whatever you wanted to talk about." Ichigo chuckled lowly.

"I didn't mean to make you this nervous, sorry."

"It's fine, just talk already!" Orihime replied, only half-joking. Ichigo sipped on his coffee before talking, his smile slowly waning.

"It's just...I have literally no idea what I should do." Orihime raised an eyebrow, waiting for Ichigo to continue.

"With Renji, you mean?" she asked when Ichigo kept quiet. Ichigo stared at his black coffee, hoping it could answer his questions.

"Yeah, who else?"

"Just checking, I haven't talked to you about that since summer began" Orihime said with a shrug, "I thought that maybe you'd done something already." Ichigo snorted, Orihime gave him more credit than he deserved.

"As if" he said, "no, I just tried to forget about the whole thing, I figured I wouldn't see him all summer so it would just go away by itself."

"But?"

"It didn't really work."

"Well obviously" Orihime said, rolling her eyes a little, "you can't fight true love." Ichigo almost spat out his coffee.

"Wh- what?" Orihime looked completely serious.

"True love, which this obviously is" she continued, "if you cannot forget about him even when you don't see him in four months and still feel all giddy, it's love, not just a crush."

"Ermmm...I'm not really sure about that" Ichigo tried to object, but Orihime wouldn't budge once her romanticism was on a roll.

"Anyway, you haven't told him?"

"No!" Ichigo blurted and then quickly lowered his voice, "no, I'm not insane."

"But how is he gonna know if you don't tell him?" Orihime asked.

"It's not...It's not that simple" Ichigo said, "I mean, what if he doesn't like me? What if he's...disgusted?" Ichigo's fingers fumbled at his coffee cup, "What if he hates me for it?" Orihime's expression softened and she leaned forward, reaching for Ichigo's hand.

"Listen, Renji's your friend, he won't hate you for this" she said, then there was a flicker in her eyes, "but if he does, _if _he does, I'll just send Tatsuki after him. So that's that dealt with." Ichigo couldn't help his smile, hearing Orihime say what was basically a death threat was somehow too funny for him.

"Let's not take this too far yet, okay?" he said, trying to dial down the level of Orihime's excitement, "but it's not just Renji."

"Oh right yeah" Orihime said, "Rukia too." Ichigo flinched, he had been sure he was just imagining things.

"How do you...What do you know?" he asked, realizing trying to ask how Orihime knew something would just end up somewhere very strange.

"I don't know anything for sure, but she's definitely got it bad" she answered, pausing to drink her coffee before it got cold, "I can tell just by the way she stares at you."

"Uh-huh" Ichigo uttered, "and you're okay with that?" Orihime paused to think, she hadn't considered that aspect of this love triangle.

"You know, I haven't even thought about it. I just feel bit sorry for her, I can relate to what she's probably feeling." Ichigo shifted, he still felt slightly guilty for being so blind to Orihime's long-term affection. But to his mind, it hadn't affected her general behavior, like it apparently did to Rukia.

"But...What should I do with her? I can't just ignore it all...Again." Orihime hemmed at the mention of her own history with Ichigo. It had taken time for her to get over it and just treat Ichigo as a friend, but once she had gotten there, she had decided to do her best to be the friend Ichigo deserved. There was no point in being bitter, he had done nothing wrong.

"I can try and talk to her but for now, try not to encourage her" she said. Ichigo gave Orihime a curious look.

"So what have I been doing wrong thus far?"

"Erm…" Orihime thought about explaining how sometimes girls could read way too much into a kind gesture or a friendly smile, but decided it might make Ichigo too paranoid.

"Just try not to end up alone with her anywhere, always have someone else with you" she said, "it won't get awkward and makes it seem that you don't want to be just with her and only think of her as one of your friends, same as everyone else. And avoid any touching or hugging."

"I'm not a huggy person."

"Well that's good then" Orihime said, then tilted her head to one side, "so she doesn't know about your…"

"Guess not" Ichigo sighed, "I don't know whether it makes this better or worse." Orihime pursed her lips, not being sure herself. To her finding out Ichigo's sexual orientation had been a partly relief, but then again thinking it like that felt wrong somehow. As if otherwise she would've had a chance and there was just something wrong with Ichigo.

"Well then, you should tell her" she said, "before she has the chance to tell her own feelings to you. It would save her the embarrassment." _Speaking of experience again, _Orihime thought and could see that Ichigo was thinking the same.

"Okay, I can try that, we'll see how it plays out."

"Great!" Orihime said, then leaned closer again, "so, what about Renji then?"

"What about him?" Ichigo sighed, burying his hand into his hair.

"Well you can't just ignore him! We should arrange you a chance to tell him" Orihime said.

"I don't think so" Ichigo argued but his further excuses were cut off as his phone peeped, "sorry…" Orihime waved her hand and sipped on her coffee, but spat it right back out, it had already gone cold.

"Oh, it's from Rukia" Ichigo said as he tapped open the message on his phone, "she asks if I want to grab a coffee." Orihime raised an eyebrow and Ichigo made a face back at her.

"What do I say?"

"Tell her you got a class, which you in fact do" Orihime said as she glanced at her watch, "and I gotta run. Catch you later!"

"Yeah sure" Ichigo muttered as he threw his phone back to his bag and dug out his time table, realizing he needed to be on the other side of campus in ten minutes. _"And it all started to fricking well, _he thought as he sprung from his chair and started to run to the exit.

* * *

After miraculously making it to the class on time, Ichigo picked out a lonely seat at the end of the hall, thinking he could easily spread out without anyone bothering him. His plans were quickly spoiled as a familiar voice rang from behind him.

"There you are, Ichi!" Ichigo almost jumped upon hearing Renji's voice so close to him. The redhead was sitting in the row behind him and hopped over the back of the chairs, landing next to Ichigo.

"I didn't see you there" Ichigo said as Renji stretched his legs in front of him, spreading his arms wide so they were resting on the backs of the seats next to him. Ichigo shifted on his seat, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. Renji didn't seem to notice, or just didn't care. His fingers brushed at the ends of Ichigo's hair as he stretched his arms, making Ichigo shiver.

"Glad there's someone I know in here" Renji said as Ichigo tried to subtly move further away from him, "I was hoping someone smart would be here."

"Is that a compliment?" Ichigo asked, suddenly struggling to remember how he was supposed to act with Renji. It was weird, he would've liked to think that if by some miracle he would ever be in a relationship with Renji, it wouldn't change their dynamics much. That's why he had fallen for Renji, he was an amazing friend; he was funny, caring, loyal and smart when he wanted to, and he made Ichigo feel better whenever they were together. But now Ichigo felt he couldn't act like himself around Renji, fearing if he relaxed too much he'd let something slip and ruin it all. It made him too timid to act natural, which in itself was a giveaway of his feelings. Ichigo hoped Renji would be too blind to notice it.

Renji leaned in closer again, peering at Ichigo's notes he had already spread out on the small desk.

"What was this class about anyway?" he said, his head almost touching Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo could smell Renji's aftershave and the shampoo he used for his hair, familiar scents that now made him want to bury his face into Renji's hair to inhale his lungs full of them. _Gah, you stupid idiot! _ Renji still seemed oblivious to Ichigo's inner struggle as he picked one of his pencils and started to spin it on his fingers.

"Now that you're here, I don't have to pay any attention" he smiled, finally leaning back to his own seat. Ichigo scoffed, trying to find himself among the wreck of his emotions.

"Like you'd done anything even without me here" he said back, earning a wider smile from Renji.

"You know me too well Ichi" he said and ruffled Ichigo's hair. Ichigo almost leaned in to the touch but managed to hold himself back. Part of him immediately started to over-analyze the gesture, was it gentler than before, or just the same as ever?

"Yeah whatever" Ichigo said and complimented himself on being so articulate, "now shut up, I don't want to get thrown out in the first class."

"Oh, who put the stick up your ass?" Renji chuckled and poked Ichigo with the pen he had taken. Ichigo reached to take it back but Renji dodged him, stretching his arm out so Ichigo had to stumble into his lap to reach it. He didn't realize the situation he had gotten himself in before he was leaning over Renji's lap, his hand holding on to the hand rest and his head almost pressing against Renji's chest. Renji's laugh made his chest heave and the sound rumbled softly before dropping from his lips. Ichigo felt his cheeks flare red as he tried to climb back to his own seat but his hand slipped from the hand rest and pressed against Renji's thigh. Renji's smile widened and his laughter got darker.

"Wow there Ichi, at least buy me a drink first." Ichigo scrambled back to his seat, his hand felt like it was burning and he was sure his face would melt right off. Renji kept looking at him, wearing that smug grin and laughing.

"Hey, I was just kidding" he said as he noticed the mortified look on Ichigo's face but then leaned closer again to whisper in his ear, "you don't have to buy me a drink first." Ichigo almost punched Renji to make him stop but the redhead had already backed up to his seat, eyes to the front where the lecturer had just settled. But the smile didn't leave his lips for the whole class and the embarrassment kept burning a hole into Ichigo's mind.

The trouble was that this was just something Renji did, this flirtatious, sometimes even borderline homoerotic behavior was very common for him. Usually it didn't bother Ichigo but now it just drove him insane. If he went along with it, he might take a step too far and ruin everything, but if he freaked out, Renji would know something was wrong. _Good work on not acting like a total idiot, he totally won't think you're the biggest loser in the world. _And what made everything worse was that Ichigo knew he would be thinking of his hand on Renji's thigh and his words for the rest of the day, and wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything productive for the whole day. _Why do insist on being such a giant loser and idiot? If Renji knew half of the stuff that goes on in your head he'd bolt in a split second._

Unknown to Ichigo, Renji was slightly disappointed. _Damn, I thought he'd take the bait! I have to rethink my strategy…_Renji was getting frustrated. At the beginning of the summer he had happen to overhear the conversation between Orihime and Ichigo, listening to them pour out their emotions for over an hour. It had been very interesting, though Renji knew he could never tell he had been there, it had been too intimate. He had almost got caught when his phone had started ringing and he had made run for it, hoping they hadn't heard him. _And just when things had turned interesting! _Renji shifted on his seat, pretending to be listening for the lecture though his eyes kept stealing glances at Ichigo, whose face was still fiery red. _Yeah, maybe that was a bad call after all. I don't even know where I was going with that. _Renji had somehow thought that if he could make Ichigo confess everything to his face things would sort themselves out, but apparently that wasn't happening. _Shit, what if he's over it already? Then I'm just digging up old wounds. Damnit, this is hard! _ _Why can't he act like a girl and giggle and shit?_

Renji exhaled heavily, craning his head back in frustration. Ichigo gave him a sideways look, but figured he was just fed up with the lecture. _Damnit, why can't we both just act like normal people, the kind who don't grope each other by accident and constantly make everything sexual? Well, that's kinda just me but still! _ Ichigo groaned and pressed his face against his knuckles, this was getting ridiculous. Suddenly he felt Renji leaning against him, their arms touching.

"Hey, wanna break out from here?" Renji asked, "You don't look too good." Ichigo opened his mouth to say no, hoping Renji would just leave him alone. But then his emotions kicked his rationality out of the way and he nodded instead, his hands already packing his stuff into his bag. Renji flashed him a wide smile, but there wasn't any teasing in it this time, and just that made Ichigo stomach flip. _Oh what the hell, just go with it. This might be one of the last times he'll actually treat you like a friend and not a freak. _

Renji scuttled quietly between the rows of seats, Ichigo following right behind him. The professor was facing the other way as he walked back and forth in front of the class. Renji was already at the top of the stairs where the doors were and pushed them open, quickly sneaking out from the smallest crack he could fit. Ichigo slipped out on his heels and grabbed the door handle so they wouldn't close with a loud bang.

"Nice teamwork" Renji said, offering his hand for a high five. Ichigo gave him a crooked smile and slapped his hand, already feeling more like a normal person. _Maybe this will work out, I'm just little rusty. It'll get better. _Renji shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking on his heels.

"Alright, so what now? I hadn't really planned further than this."

"Well, my day's over so we could just hang out" Ichigo shrugged, he had a desperate need for something normal right now. It was strange how being with Renji could make him feel both incredibly weird and completely fine at the same time. _Well, almost the same time. It kinda comes in waves. _

"Yeah sure" Renji said, "downtown?"

"Sounds good" Ichigo said and they headed out of the building, "I can probably leave my bike here."

"Nah, take it with you, someone will steal it."

"You think?"

"Oh yeah, there are some shady people around here" Renji smirked and raised his eyebrows, "I'm looking at one." Ichigo rolled his eyes and nudged Renji with his elbow.

"You're one to talk, pineapple."

"Oi, it's not a pineapple anymore!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Whatever, carrot top." Ichigo scowled at Renji and pushed him on the shoulder, making him stagger almost out of balance but then he just swung back to his feet and jumped on Ichigo, making him give Renji a piggy-back ride. Ichigo's knees buckled under their combined weight and they almost crashed into the nearest wall when Renji jumped off, grabbing Ichigo's arm to pull him back.

"Whoa, sorry, didn't plan that to happen" he said and almost sounded apologetic for a second, "you've grown weak."

"You've gotten fat" Ichigo retorted and punched Renji on the stomach, only managing to hurt his own knuckles. Renji smirked and flexed his arms again.

"You were saying?" Ichigo said nothing more, he was too busy trying not to think of Renji's ripped body naked. _Yup, that worked out just the way it should've, _he thought as they continued walking, this time somewhat more normally. _I wonder how long I can keep this up without him noticing anything...Or me losing my sanity._

Renji glanced at Ichigo and the face he was currently making, like his mind was somewhere far away. _Let's see how long he can keep this up without losing it...Or how long I can play this cool. _Renji smiled to himself. _Maybe this was enough for one day. Maybe. _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Still going pretty slowly, this part of the story is hard to write since there is no real conflict to be had yet, just build-up and background stuff. Mundane things, I much prefer action and angst. So this is why this thing has taken so long, sorry about that everyone! I also re-wrote the beginning like four times before settling for this one, just couldn't get my head around it. I'm a lazy little writer, but I hope you like this chapter. **_

* * *

**Chapter 4. The joke seems to be on me**

The week went by quickly. Ichigo kept himself busy with his studies, though there was actually were little to be done. Coming back to his apartment on Friday afternoon Ichigo sighed as he shut the door behind him, leaning his back against it. Who knew keeping up appearances in the company of your crush could be this exhausting? Ichigo let his bag slip to the floor, kicking off his shoes. Spending time with Renji had made him laugh so much his sides felt sore, but his head thumped from stress. Trying to avoid getting into compromising situations with Renji was a constant struggle, Ichigo wasn't sure whether he enjoyed playing around with him or was he just such a physical person he had to keep bodily contact at all times. Either way it was hugely distracting, one second Ichigo was certain he could finally relax and then Renji suddenly touched his hair, wrapped his arm around Ichigo's shoulders or stood way too close. And to him it all seemed like a joke, he enjoyed it whether Ichigo got flustered and scurried away, got defensive or went with it, to Renji it was all the same. Ichigo had tried to ignore Renji for a while, but that only made him more audacious, and Ichigo knew he couldn't handle that. He was on edge already and didn't want to give Renji any reason to irk him more.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid" Ichigo said to himself as he wandered into the bathroom, he needed a long hot shower to relax and empty his head. He was already daunting the party they had been invited to, being drunk in Renji's presence wasn't the best idea he could think of right now. But Orihime had talked him to it, saying a party with loads of other people to keep him busy would be just what he needed to relax.

Under the shower Ichigo tried to clear his mind but there was a jittery feeling of excitement that was slowly taking him over. Maybe the party would be an opportunity to actually relax instead of a further threat to his sanity. It was held by some older students Ichigo didn't even know, besides that one girl Neliel, who apparently lived with them. Ichigo had drawn a blank when told about Nel, though Orihime had assured him they had had several classes together last year.

"_You know me, I'm horrible with faces"_, Ichigo had argued, _"I'll probably recognize her the second I see her."_

"_Well you'd better, she seemed to remember you just fine"_ Uryuu had said, it had been him who told them about the party in the first place. Later Renji had told them about the very same party, though he had heard about it from his own senior student friends.

"_How many people are coming to his party anyway?" _Rukia had asked.

"_I dunno, a lot" _Renji had guessed, _"who cares, as long as they have beer I'm game."_

"_Typical" _Tatsuki had quipped, _"well I won't be the one dragging your drunk ass home this time."_

"_No need, I bet Ichi'll take care of me" _Renji had said and winked at Ichigo. Orihime had been almost too giddy to function upon hearing that, but claimed she was just excited about the party. She had convinced Rukia and Tatsuki to doll up with her, which they had of course obliged to. No one could say no to Orihime's puppy eyes anymore, she had made it into an art form.

Ichigo turned off the shower and suddenly remembered Renji had said he'd come over before the party so they could go buy their drinks. _Shit, what's the time? _Ichigo fumbled for a towel as he walked out from the shower and tried to look for the time. Of course right then there was a loud knock on the door and Ichigo had few seconds to think whether he should run to get some pants or just open the door.

"Ichi! Come on, it's gonna rain out here!" _Oh God, why do you hate me so?_

"Just a second! I don't have pants!" Ichigo shouted back and instantly regretted it. _Why would anyone say that?! _Ichigo could hear Renji laughing behind the door.

"Well in that case!" Ichigo yelped as the lock started to rattle and before he could run for cover Renji busted in with a huge grin on his face. Ichigo grabbed onto his towel for his life, realizing he should've just made a run for it but for some reason his feet weren't getting the message. Renji chuckled as he closed the door behind him, his eyes never leaving Ichigo.

"Not bad at all, you don't need to get any pants" he said, "you should always go around like that."

"Do you have any idea what you sound like?" Ichigo asked as he edged towards his bedroom, "And stay away while I get some pants. I'm not going out like this."

"Too bad, I bet there's a certain someone who'd appreciate the sight."

"Oh yeah, like who?" Renji had wandered into Ichigo's living room, lounging around the small living space.

"You don't know?"

"How would I know? Tatsuki keeps telling me all the time that I'm socially retarded!" Ichigo shouted back from his room. Renji scoffed, saying nothing more. Ichigo felt sudden unease at the silence and quickly threw on some clothes to be at least somewhat presentable. When he came back, Renji was standing in the middle of the room, swaying on his heels.

"Alright, I got pants, you wanna go?" Renji turned and smirked at Ichigo.

"Sure, ready to roll as always."

"Good, let me grab my keys" Ichigo said, looking around the apartment, "if I can find them." A frown burrowed his forehead.

"How did you open my door?" Renji shrugged, trying to look innocent.

"It's a simple lock, bit of tinkering does the trick easy enough."

"I don't feel that safe anymore knowing that."

"You should change the locks, or at least get a safety chain."

"There's nothing valuable here" Ichigo said, "if someone broke in to steal something, I'd probably try searching with them." Renji laughed, shaking his head.

"I'd be more concerned of someone coming in and murdering you in your sleep."

"Well thanks for saying that, now I feel much better."

"My door is always open" Renji said, walking towards the door, "and there's a spot on the couch to sleep on."

"Good to know, but no thanks" Ichigo said, "your place is even more of a dump than mine."

"Oi, I resent that! Well, kinda...But still, it's a home."

"Alright, sorry already" Ichigo said as he locked the door behind them, though he did feel it was slightly unnecessary. He turned and for the first time actually looked at Renji properly. It was a big mistake, Ichigo immediately felt his chest tighten. _Why does he have to look that good? _Renji had braided his long hair and he was wearing tight black jeans and a fitted dress shirt with rolled up sleeves. Ichigo could see pieces of Renji's tattoos peeking out from under his shirt and suddenly wanted to see how far low they went. Ichigo had to snap out of it once he noticed Renji was smiling at him again, probably guessing why Ichigo had suddenly gone silent. _Well this is a good start if any. What was that about not acting like an idiot around him? _

"Everything alright, Ichi?" Renji asked him.

"Yeah, yeah" Ichigo replied, trying to shake off the unclean thoughts from his head, "let's just go already."

Once Renji and Ichigo arrived to the house carrying enough alcohol to drown themselves into it, it was easy to find the right apartment just by following the noise.

"You think the neighbours won't mind?" Ichigo wondered as they climbed up the stairs towards the sound of thumping music and loud laughter.

"If the cops come, then they probably do."

"That's reassuring" Ichigo said as the bottles clinked together in the paper bags he was carrying. They found the right door judging by the noise and knocked on the door. Ichigo had tried to avoid looking at Renji for the most part of the trip, figuring the evening had already been embarrassing enough without having to look at Renji's grinning face and blushing at every point. The door opened and a cacophony of voices talking, music blasting and other various mixed noises poured into the hallway. A tall girl with cropped blonde hair was standing at the door, eyeing Renji and Ichigo with disinterest in her eyes.

"And you are?" she asked, her voice was low and husky. Ichigo guessed the unlighted cigarette in her hand had something to do with it.

"We're friends of Neliel" Renji was quick to say, offering the girl his winning smile. She didn't seem impressed.

"We brought lots of alcohol" Ichigo tried, hoping that proving they weren't there to leech off everyone would sway the girl's judgement. She gave Ichigo a long evaluating look and then glanced back at Renji. Suddenly there was a small smile on her face and she stepped aside.

"Alright, come in. But if you throw up anywhere, your asses are mine."

"Roger that." Renji and Ichigo had barely made it inside when they heard a familiar voice carrying over the noise.

"Ichigo! Renji, you made it!" Orihime squeezed her way through the crowd of people and jumped to give Ichigo a welcoming hug. She was wearing a short summery dress with floral print, showing a generous amount of her smooth pale skin. Her long hair was collected into a loose bun on her neck, few loose strands framing her pretty face. Ichigo's hands were still occupied by the shopping bags so he just stood there and leaned his head against Orihime's, he could smell her sweet perfume. She let go of him and then smiled at Renji, who was already for her with open arms. Orihime laughed as she hugged Renji, but Ichigo was making his way out of the cramped front room. There was something about the way Renji acted around Orihime that made his guts twist into a painful knot, though he knew it was probably nothing. _Probably._

Ichigo made his way towards the kitchen and eyed the crowd inside. He could vaguely recognize most of the guests, but they were almost all senior students. He exchanged quick greetings with few of them he knew better and took a better look at the apartment. It was cozy, which meant it was quite small for three people but they all had their own rooms and a separate kitchen. All three rooms were packed with people, there was music blasting from the biggest room on the right and the smaller rooms on the left were filled with people lounging around on the floor. Someone was playing acoustic guitar and Ichigo could swore he smelled the recognizable scent of pot coming from the other room. Ichigo spotted Uryuu standing near the doorway of the biggest room, talking to some girl with distinguishable green hair. He grinned and decided not to bother them, instead slipping in to the kitchen. He saw a familiar form towering over everyone else in the corner of the kitchen and pushed through the people to get to him.

"Hi Chad!" Ichigo said as he lowered the bags to the floor.

"Hi Ichigo" Chad said and looked at the amount of bottles in the bags, "Just for yourself?"

"Nah, Renji just went crazy, take as many as you want" Ichigo said and looked around, "so how's that party?"

"It's alright" Chad replied in his usual calm demeanour, "did you see Orihime?"

"How could I miss her?" Ichigo chuckled, "I think she's still giving Renji a warm welcome." Chad gave Ichigo a slightly weird look as he grabbed a bottle of beer.

"What?" Chad just shrugged, focusing intently on his beer. Ichigo didn't have time to ask again when Orihime appeared on his side, Renji was nowhere to be seen.

"Found you" she smiled at Ichigo and then quickly lowered her voice, "so, tell me everything." Ichigo looked confused and Chad hid his smile behind his beer bottle, and then graciously left them alone, heading towards the sound of the acoustic guitar.

"Everything about what?" Ichigo asked once they were alone. Orihime had picked herself a drink on the way and gave Ichigo a roll of her eyes as she opened the can of cider.

"You and Renji, dummy. You came here together, didn't you?"

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean anything." Orihime looked disappointed so Ichigo figured he could at least tell her what had happened, despite it being boring and uneventful from his perspective.

"We just figured that he'd swing by my place and then we'd go together so we could buy the drinks. So, he came, and..." Ichigo stopped as he remembered the embarrassing beginning to his night.

"And what?"

"Well, he caught me without my pants on, and..."

"WHAT?!" Orihime squealed and quickly slapped her hand on her mouth as everyone around them turned to look. Ichigo waved his hand in response and shrugged, which seemed to satisfy the curiosity of their audience.

"I had just come out of the shower, that's it. Keep your mind out of the gutter, Hime." Orihime giggled and looked over her shoulder to spot the redhead from the crowd.

"Okay, so that was just your normal luck. Anything else?"

"Not really, he's just being Renji" Ichigo said and then remembered his reaction to seeing Renji that night. He groaned and smacked himself on the forehead.

"Why does he have to look like that? And why do I always act like a total imbecile when I'm with him?" Orihime put her hand on Ichigo's arm in a reassuring gesture.

"You don't act like an idiot" she said and then looked into the crowd again, "but yeah, he does look good tonight." Orihime's smile widened and she giggled again.

"I don't blame you Ichi, I could look at his ass all night in those jeans." Ichigo almost spat out his drink.

"Hime!"

"What? I'm a single woman, I'm allowed to look."

"Well yeah, but..."

"What?"

"I just didn't expect that from you." Orihime winked at Ichigo and took a sip of her drink.

"You're so sweet, Ichi."

"He's a virgin" a voice suddenly proclaimed behind Orihime. Tatsuki grinned as Ichigo glared at her and Orihime tried not to laugh.

"You're one to talk" Ichigo retorted but Tatsuki just quirked an eyebrow at him. Contrast to Orihime's girly floral dress, she was wearing shorts and tank top with denim west, showing off her toned arms and legs.

"You know nothing, Ichigo." The girls shared a laugh and Ichigo was certain he didn't even want to know.

"But Hime's right, it's a pretty sight" Tatsuki said and turned to look at Renji's direction. Renji had apparently heard them as he glanced at their direction and smiled, waving his hand to them. Ichigo tried to hide himself behind the girls but it was a futile effort as he was almost a foot taller than them.

"I'm gonna go see how Uryuu is doing, he was talking to some girl just now" Ichigo said, feeling like an outsider while standing next to the girls who kept giggling at seemingly nothing.

"Oh, that was Nel! Be nice to her" Orihime told Ichigo as he walked back into the crowd. He slipped past Renji who was busy talking with some seniors and dodged few guys arguing over a half full bottle of beer. He didn't get very far when he bumped into someone and almost spilled his own drink.

"Whoah, sorry" Ichigo said before he even looked who he had bumped into.

"It's okay, no harm done. Ichigo, right?"

"Yeah, right" Ichigo said and looked up to see a tall young man with spiky black hair and eyes so dark they almost looked black.

"I'm Shuuhei, Renji's friend" he said, raising his bottle to Ichigo as a greeting.

"Oh right, Shuuhei, nice to meet you" Ichigo fumbled and could see the amusement on Shuuhei's eyes.

"Is Renji here too? I haven't had a chance to see him."

"Yeah he's back there, busy socializing" Ichigo said as he pointed back to the kitchen with his thumb. Before Shuuhei could say more a man with short grey hair and sharp eyes appeared behind him and nudged him with his arm. Shuuhei's face immediately melted into s soft smile and he whispered something to the man Ichigo couldn't hear. He then turned back to Ichigo and he could sense there was something between those two.

"Ichigo, this is Kensei." The man nodded at Ichigo, he looked serious and at least five years older than Shuuhei.

"Hello" Ichigo said clumsily, not knowing how to react to Kensei's piercing eyes staring right through his head.

"I'm gonna go say hello to Renji while he's still sober" Shuuhei said and took Kensei's hand into his. Kensei gave Ichigo one last hard look before following Shuuhei towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure" Ichigo mumbled, mostly to himself. _Well...How about that? _Ichigo took a gulp out of his beer as he digested this information. All he knew about Shuuhei was through Renji, and he had painted him as a womanizing genius. _Well, maybe the genius part is still true. _

"Ichigo! You're here!" Ichigo swallowed his beer down the wrong pipe and gagged as he turned around to face the source of the voice. Rukia was standing just behind him, her smile slightly faltering as she watched Ichigo trying to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Rukia asked as Ichigo's face turned red.

"Yeah, just gimme a second." Ichigo coughed into his fist and when he finally was able to breathe right, he turned back to Rukia.

"Rukia, hi. Sorry about that." Rukia tried to smile again, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So, how's the party?"

"Good so far, we just came in with Renji actually" Ichigo said and only then took a good look at Rukia, "You look...Different." Rukia fiddled with the hem of her dress, she was wobbling slightly in her high heels and her fake eyelashes felt heavy. She was overdressed, she knew it, but she didn't look bad. She wasn't used to getting dolled up like this, but figured this night might've been her chance to make an impression, to persuade Ichigo to see her as not the tomboy she usually was, but as a girl. Not just a friend.

"I just thought I'd get dressed up for once, you know, for fun."

"You look...nice" Ichigo managed to say, though to his mind Rukia looked nice even without all the get-up she was wearing. But she smiled at him, and Ichigo felt slightly better. He just wanted things to be like they were before all the madness of relationships had made everything weird.

"You wanna get a drink?" Ichigo asked and only then noticed Orihime standing at the end of the hallway, shaking her head wildly. He frowned and Rukia turned around too, but she just saw Orihime smiling and waving her hand at them. She waved back with slightly less enthusiasm but as soon as she turned back to Ichigo, Orihime continued with her wild gesturing.

"Um, let's go say hi to Hime, she seems lonely" Ichigo said and awkwardly pushed past Rukia towards Orihime, who had calmed down again and was just sipping her drink.

"Hi Rukia! Oh, you look so pretty! Like a cartoon character" Orihime said. Rukia didn't know to respond but thanked her anyway.

"Hey, there's plenty of drinks in the kitchen, go grab some before they're all out" she continued and effectively ushered Rukia to the kitchen, leaving her alone with Ichigo.

"You alright Hime?" Ichigo asked her.

"Yeah, I'm perfect!" she said happily and looked over her shoulder before leaning closer to Ichigo, "Did you see that Shuuhei guy with that big scary man?"

"Yeah, Kensei. Why?"

"You think they're...You know?" Ichigo tried to decipher something from Orihime's strange facial expressions but came up short.

"No, but I'm guessing you mean they're a couple." Orihime had to choke down her squeals and she flailed her arms in the air, earning more concerned looks from Ichigo.

"You sure you're alright?"

"I'm just excited, that's all."

"Why?"

"I just think it would be good if Renji saw someone being in a happy relationship. With another man." Orihime waited for Ichigo to catch her drift.

"Why?"

"So he could start thinking dating you!" Orihime exclaimed and immediately slapped her hand over her mouth, "sorry."

"It's okay, just try to keep it down" Ichigo said. What he hadn't noticed was Rukia standing behind the corner, clutching onto her drink so it wouldn't fall from her shaking hands. _Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. _


End file.
